You’re missing the Charlotte Film Festival right now
Dear Charlotte friends,
I missed you at the Charlotte Film Festival (CFFSEVEN) on Sunday. To be fair, I was kicking back in this armchair at Carolina Cinemas while the Panthers were kicking off against the Saints at Bank of America Stadium.
That could be why there were only about 10 other people sitting with me in the theater while six narrative short films flashed across the screen. It could also have something to do with the fact that the last Charlotte Film Festival (CFFSIX) was in March 2012.
Well, the festival is back, so get with it. Chip White, a Charlottean and the star of the first short film I saw, “A Chess Player,” even said, “The point is to get the public to come.”
This year’s festival is open to the public for nine days with just over 60 films in the categories of narrative features, documentary features, narrative shorts and documentary shorts.
“As a festival we commit to providing an environment that spotlights the next generation of local, region, national and international independent filmmakers,” said Brandon Falls, communications director for Charlotte Film Festival. “We believe that Charlotte deserves an annual, week-long celebration of independent cinema and a celebration of the people that create these great works of art.”
From the list of shorts that I saw — “A Chess Player,” “Harbinger,” “Meat,” “Whispering Pines,” “The Gift” and “Tom in America” – I managed to:
(1) Get excited about seeing Charlotte scenery and faces on the big screen. “A Chess Player” showed interview footage between Maureen O’Boyle of WBTV and the main character, who spent some time dramatically wandering the streets of Charlotte when he lost a chess game. He had never lost before.
(2) Feel inspired. “The Gift” conveyed a dystopian society in which people who were not at the top of the work force were killed by the government at age 50. One character was told this about life: “Don’t let it get away from you. It goes by quicker than you think.”
(3) Get overwhelmed. I teared up during “Harbinger” when a little boy told his mother he loved her.
(4) Laugh. “Meat” featured a meat seller who made wildly inappropriate comments that I will not repeat here. Films made for mature audiences are fun.
It was also a surprise to have representatives of several of the films stand up from their seats at the end for a quick Q&A with the audience. (Why doesn’t Brad Pitt do this when his films come to Charlotte theaters?)
Overall, the group said they participated in the Charlotte Film Festival to get more exposure for their short films, create career starters for their team members and to establish those films as calling cards while they embarked on their next projects in the festival circuit.
Audience choice winners have yet to be revealed, but Charlotte Film Festival released four winning films that will be replayed Tuesday, Sept. 29:
– Best narrative feature “Manson Family Vacation” shows at 8 p.m. at Ayrsley Grand Cinemas. Best narrative short “I Scream Your Name” plays prior.
– Best documentary feature “Romeo is Bleeding” shows at 7:30 p.m. at Carolina Cinemas. Best documentary short “The Bitter Apple from the Tree” plays prior.
In addition, don’t miss the remaining film screenings scheduled for Sept. 29-Oct. 3. at Ayrsley Grand Cinemas and Carolina Cinemas. If you end up at Carolina Cinemas, don’t miss the bar, either. I didn’t notice it until after the shorts.
Photos by Katie Toussaint
This story was originally published September 29, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "You’re missing the Charlotte Film Festival right now."